Question For Teachers/Parents About Projects

[tiggerpoohtoo]

As a teacher If i have give homework or a outside project I do expect parents to help. However I don't grade or award for the best looking project. A teacher knows her/his students and their capabilities.(we also usually know the parents capabilities) If a student shows up with an exploding volcano that looks like it should be in the national geographic mag. I get the student to explain the process that their parents did in making it (and in a round about way) let the student and class know that the child's parents happen to be an artist and enginer. I feel these sitiuations are a great learning tool to use to let children know about college and career options. (In my area most children do not go to college or trade school, it is a forgein concept) SOOOO if i can plant one seed then well you never know. But the grade is based on student ability.

 

[badblackpug]

Just a thought after reading new posts - not sure why people have a problem with having a discussion with their kids about the differences between projects, workloads, etc. If the project looks like it's obviously been done by an adult, then I think it's fine to discuss this in a teachable way. If you have a kid who is sensitive, and notices these things, then as a parent, you need to have this conversation and not just brush it off.

Sensitive and competitive kids notice everything, so dismissing the fact that a parent 'helped' or even completed the project is unfair, IMHO.

My DD is only 6, and we have already had these conversations, and it has gone a long way in protecting her self esteem. Of course though, you really have to know your kids, and be able to approach the conversation as more of a critical thinking exercise, and not a venting conversation or passing judgment as you don't want your child to go to school and make comments to the adult helped science fair kids.

It is something that can and should be done, IMHO, Tiger

For several reasons: One: I can't prove that the parent did it. I'm fairly sure, but I have no irrefutable proof. ...and even though I have fairly strong, and probably correct, suspicions, it isn't right to make an accusation without proof. Two: I don't want my kids going back to school saying to the rest of the class or to the child herself "So-and-so's mom did her project, that is why it's so good." (and my kids will do that)

...as the kids get older they figure it out on their own.

 

[Tiger926]

For several reasons: One: I can't prove that the parent did it. I'm fairly sure, but I have no irrefutable proof. ...and even though I have fairly strong, and probably correct, suspicions, it isn't right to make an accusation without proof. Two: I don't want my kids going back to school saying to the rest of the class or to the child herself "So-and-so's mom did her project, that is why it's so good." (and my kids will do that)

...as the kids get older they figure it out on their own.

I didn't suggest that you were to do it in such a way that the kids go to school and accuse other children. I suggested that it's used as a critical thinking or evaluative lesson.

If your child is comparing his/her project to the others, you can use that as a way to ask your child how he/she would have built the project? What materials? Could they have done something similar, etc? Would it have been the same outcome? This is much better than having them cry or pout that someone else's project is better than their project.

This is what our children are lacking in - as a highschool teacher, I am constantly using non-fiction articles/stories in my critical thinking lessons as it provides real lessons and allows them to think about how they would have approached a situation, and would it have produced the samer result? It provides valuable lessons - you can't just make the whole science project isolatory. If you go around and look at other projects, this is how it should be approached. This will ensure that there is no negative judgment, as you don't have proof that an adult actually completed the project. Just ignoring the other projects and having kids figure this out on their own, isn't adequate, as it will only serve to build up resentment. I'm sure some kids hear their parents complaining about said projects as well, so I'm suggesting this is a much more positive approach to a very sticky situation. Kids are going to have similar situations in highschool or in the working world, so approaching this as a lesson is much more valuable than just ignoring or complaining about other projects (I'm not suggesting you do this, but I have seen some parents do so).

I do this with my 6 year old, and it works, Tiger

 

[teacup princess]

I have some experience with this. As a child I once won a science fair with a parent-done project. I look back on this now with a bit of guilt, embarrassment, and sort of a lackluster feeling towards my parent's parenting skills.

I was a lazy kid, was fighting them tooth and nail on doing the project. My brother did the same thing the year before and didn't tell them about his project until the night before . My dad was a science teacher in another district and took quite a bit of flack about the project my brother came up with in the few hours before the fair. I guess he didn't want a repeat of that so he helped a little too much. I knew it was wrong and I wish now that they would have just let me fail. If they had given me a bit of help coming up with an idea, time-management, and a SOME technical help, I would look back much more fondly on this science fair today, even if I didn't win.